


The Poisoned Heart

by AsylumWritings



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Drugs, F/M, Murder, Past Child Abuse, Poisoning, Rough Sex, Sleep Deprivation, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:35:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 19,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24352198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsylumWritings/pseuds/AsylumWritings
Summary: When Annie Walker becomes the prime suspect in the investigation of a break in at her work, she discovers it's harder to walk away from your past than anyone realises. Especially when that past involves an abusive father with an obsession, and a fair amount of murder.With Damian Wayne at her side (and in her bed), she is determined to find the truth. Whether she can do it before all hell breaks loose is a different question entirely.Aesthetic Board: https://www.pinterest.com.au/AsylumMaiden/aesthetics/wip-the-poisoned-heart/
Relationships: Damian Wayne/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 13
Collections: DC: Dark Magic and Dark Actions





	1. Abrus Precatorius

### Chapter One: Abrus Precatorius

There are poisons that blind you, and poisons that open your eyes. _August Strindberg, The Ghost Sonata_

“Do you really have to go to work today?” Damian asked, sleepily pulling me closer.  
“Yes, I really have to go to work today.” I rolled over to face him. “I’d much rather stay here with you, but I have results coming in, and I need to deal with them. But I have 15 minutes before I need to start moving.”  
I pushed him onto his back, leaning over to kiss him and running my fingers through his shaggy black hair. As he slid his arms around me, my phone began to ring. I didn’t want to answer it, but it was my work ringtone.  
“Sorry, honey, I have to get that. It’s work.” I rolled over, grabbing my phone off my bedside table. “Hello?”  
“I need you to come in now. The lab was broken into. We’re not sure what’s been stolen yet, but the police want to talk to you.” My boss, Alex, told me.  
“What?” I sat up in surprise. “Of course, I’ll be right in.”  
Hanging up the phone, I leapt out of bed and searched through the closet for some clothes. I figured my usual work clothes were probably not necessary, but I still needed something mostly appropriate that wouldn’t be too revealing or make me look like a slob.  
“What happened?” Damian asked.  
“Someone broke into the lab. I need to get down there to talk the police.” I stripped out of my pyjamas, pulling on the clothes I’d finally managed to find.  
“I’ll make coffee. Do you want me to drive you?” He climbed out of the bed, heading to the kitchen.  
“That would be amazing.” I ran a brush through my hair, pulling it up into a bun, before also walking out.  
It didn’t take long for the kettle to boil and I watched him pour my coffee. Even just the smell of it was helping me wake up a little, but I needed to actually drink it before I would be able to deal with what was going on.  
“How bad will it be?”  
I leaned against the bench, resting my head in my hands. “Depends what they took. If they took my current work, a lot of people will die.”   
“Hey.” He touched my arm. “It’s alright. This isn’t your fault.”  
“I know.” I looked up, taking the travel mug he was offering me. “I guess we’d better get out there.”  
As we drove to the lab, I could feel anxiety rising in my gut. I had this worry that I must have left something unlocked, or done something wrong, even though everything in the lab auto-locks behind me. Then it was a worry about when I would be able to go back to work, how many people would get hurt by this and more.  
“Annie.” Damian softly touched my leg. “We’re here.”  
I shook myself out of my thoughts, looking at the cops standing near the front door.  
“I’ll check in with Dad, see if he knows anything about this.” He took the empty cup from me. “If you’re not feeling up to going out tonight, let me know. I love you. I’ll be around the corner at the park for a while, so if you’re done soon, you can meet me there.”  
“I love you too.” I leaned over and kissed him, before climbing out of the car.  
The police were on me in seconds, asking questions to confirm who I was before taking me inside. The thick security door was completely blown open, as if someone had set off bomb against it.  
Running to my lab, I found the door to the airlock smashed in, and I knew it was exactly what I feared. In all the mess, it was easy to see what they had taken.  
I was standing at the bench, trying not to cry, when Alex and Commissioner Gordon came in.  
“What did they take?” Gordon asked, looking around.  
“Every sample of abrin that I had.”  
Alex’s eyes went wide. “Jesus.”  
“Is that serious?” Gordon looked between the two of us. “What is it?”  
“A plant toxin, more toxic than ricin. I was trying to synthesise an antidote for it, so I had a fair amount around.” I explained, logging in to my computer. “They took enough to kill a few thousand people, depending on how they use it.”  
“I’m going to need to ask you both some questions, separately. Miss Walker, please follow me.”  
We walked into the staffroom, and he gestured for me to sit.   
“Can you give me your whereabouts over the past 24 hours?” He asked, sitting across the table from me. “Who were you with? Did you notice anything unusual?”  
“I got to work at 8:30. I usually start at 9, but I’d come in early because I had a lot of prep work that needed to be done.” I leaned on the table, watching as he began to write in his notebook. “It was a completely normal day, nothing out of the ordinary that I could tell.”  
“No one was acting strange?”  
I shook my head. “Not that I noticed. I tend to keep to myself at work.”  
“What did you do after work?”  
“I went home to the apartment I share with my partner, Damian. We were both pretty tired, so we got food delivered and stayed in. I was there until I got the call this morning about all this.”  
“I’ll need his number to confirm your story.”  
“Of course. There’s also security cameras at my apartment building, if you need the exact times I was in and out.” I wrote the number down on a piece of paper, and handed it to him.  
“That shouldn’t be necessary. Do you know of anyone who might have done this? Maybe someone who was recently fired and might be holding a grudge?”  
“We have pretty low turnover here, I can’t remember the last time we got anyone new in my area of the lab.” I shifted in my seat. “There’s not really anything else I can tell you.”  
“That will do for now. Get in contact if you think of anything else.” He handed me business card. “Don’t leave the city. We might have more questions for you soon.”  
I nodded, trying not to show how upset I was. Getting up, I wrapped my arms around myself and walked out into the cold. There were still people standing around, gawking at the police doing their work, and I hurried past them, just wanting to get home.   
Tucking my hands in my pockets, I walked the ten minutes to the park. Damian was sitting on one of the benches facing me, reading a book. I quietly walked over, sitting down beside him and burying my face in my hands.  
“That bad?” He asked, closing his book and sliding his arm around my waist.  
“They took every sample I had. I don’t know why, or how they’re going to use it, I just know that it’s going to end with the deaths of a lot of people.” I sighed. “The police are going to call you at some point.”  
“They already did, while you were walking over here. I told them you were with me, because you were.” He pressed a kiss to my shoulder. “You haven’t done anything wrong, so try not to worry too much.”  
“I know that. But you know they’ll do a background check, and we both know what they’ll find. They’re going to assume this was me.  
“We’ll deal with that if it happens.” He was silent for a moment. “Do you still want to go out to the botanical gardens tonight? We don’t have to go if you’re not feeling up to it.”  
“No, I want to go. I love going there with you.” I looked up at him with a smile. “Come on, let’s go home.”


	2. Datura Innoxia

### Chapter Two: Datura Innoxia

Not all poison was bitter. Some of the deadliest poisons in the world tasted sweet; they were that much more dangerous because of it. _Nenia Campbell, Fearscape_

“What are you thinking about?” Damian asked, as we walked into the rose garden. “You’re being very quiet.”  
I looked up at him, not even realising how much I’d been stuck in my own head. The events of the day had my mind running a little wild, and I couldn’t seem to keep my thoughts straight, no matter how much I tried.  
“Just about our first date. How we came here after dinner, and I told you about some of the different plants. I was so sure that I was boring you, but you kept asking questions and I wanted to share everything I knew.”  
“You were so excited. I loved watching your face light up every time I asked a question. I still do.” He ran his fingers through my curls. “Is everything alright?”  
“Yeah, today just has me a little rattled.” I gave him a big smile. “Sorry, got lost in my memories for a little there. I didn’t meant to get distracted from our date.”  
He shook his head, taking hold of my hand. “That memory is a lot better than the ones you usually think about. I don’t mind waiting if you need to get lost a little longer.”  
“It’s okay. I’m finished.” I began to gently pull him along the path. “There’s something I wanted to show you.”  
I dragged him to a small bench, next to some beautiful black flowers. Sitting down, I picked one and handed it to them.   
“It’s beautiful.” He whispered. “What is it?”  
“Black Velvet Petunia.” I leaned against him. “There was an empty space here, and they asked for ideas for what to put there. So I suggested these.”  
“And they agreed?”  
“Well,” I looked up at him sheepishly. “I might have told them I’m dating you.”  
He laughed, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “You’re terrible.”  
“I know.” I looked up at him, running my fingers along his jaw. “I just wanted to see these flowers. They won’t grow on our apartment balcony, so this is the only place I can see them.”  
He kissed me, the flower falling to the ground as he took hold of my face. He always held me so tightly, but it made me feel comforted, not afraid. Everything about him did.  
When he finally let me go, I could barely breathe, and my mind had gone completely blank. I felt a blush spreading across my cheeks as he twisted a strand of my hair around his finger.  
“Were we talking about something?” I asked, a little flustered.  
He gave me a quiet smile, and it seemed almost secretive.  
“Do you remember when you found out what I do with Dad?”  
“When you turned up at my apartment bleeding and barely conscious? Of course I remember.”  
“You didn’t freak out when I admitted it to you, just patched me up and made sure I was alright. That’s when I knew that I wanted…” He trailed off, looking down at his feet.  
“Wanted what?”  
He slid off the bench and down onto one knee, looking up at me with his amazing grey eyes as he took my hand. Tears were beginning to fill my eyes, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.  
“I wanted to be with you forever. I love you, more than anything, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Annie, will you marry me?” He pulled out a ring box, opening it to show me a simple, beautiful rose gold ring with a black diamond.  
“Yes.” I replied, nodding as the happiest tears I’d ever cried rolled down my cheeks.  
He slid the ring onto my finger, and it fit perfectly. I hesitated for a moment, knowing it would likely rip my gloves at work.  
“It’s beautiful.” I whispered. “But I can’t wear it in the lab…”  
“I know.” He nodded, pulling another box out of his pocket. “That’s why I bought this one too.”  
Inside the second box was a black silicone ring. It was perfect, and I nearly started crying again.  
“I don’t know what to say.” I leaned over to kiss him. “You thought of everything.”  
“I put a lot of thought into it. I wanted to make sure that you were happy.” He stood, pulling me up into his arms.   
“I love you so much.” I wrapped my arms around his neck.  
He kissed me again, sliding his hands into the back pocket of my jeans. “Should we go home?”  
“Sure. Especially if you’re going to keep touching me like that.” I pulled his hands out of my pockets and dragged him the short distance back to the car.  
“That’s hardly my fault. Have you seen how good you look right now?” He gently backed me up against the car door, kissing my neck.  
“You’re so much trouble.” I laughed, softly pushing him away. “We should get home before people see us.”  
“Only if I get to touch you some more when we get there.”  
“I would never say no to that.”   
I kissed him one more time, then slid into the car before he could grab me again. The drive home was quiet, both of us lost in our thoughts.  
“If I’d known you were going to propose, I would have worn something nicer.” I laughed, as he opened the apartment door.  
“But then I would have to be careful when I’m ripping them off you.” He stepped inside, pulling me in with him.  
Taking hold of his shirt, I drew him in close.  
“These are my favourite jeans. If you ruin them, I will break up with you right now.” I joked, before kissing him.  
“I’ll be careful, I promise.” He lifted me up, pressing me back against the door.


	3. Mandragora Officinarum

### Chapter Three: Mandragora Officinarum

She nourishes the poison in her veins and is consumed by a secret fire. _Virgil_

I stood in the kitchen, twisting my ring back and forth while I waited for the kettle to boil. The news was on in the background, but I was trying to ignore it. It was hard to avoid though, and I didn’t want to miss knowing what was going on with the case.   
“Five people have died in an apparent poisoning that has been traced back to some tainted cocaine. The police have informed us that it is likely connected to the break-in that occurred at the Gotham City Medical Lab a week ago.”  
I leaned on the bench, trying to stop the tears of guilt. As I fought against them, the bedroom door opened and Damian walked out, drying his hair with his towel. When he saw the look on my face, he ran over.  
“Hey, what’s wrong?” He brushed my cheek, wiping some of the tears away. “Why are you crying?”  
I pointed at the TV, where they were now talking about the symptoms of abrin poisoning. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close as he turned off the news.  
“I know all of this is hard to deal with,” He ran his fingers through my hair, “but I need you to keep telling yourself that this isn’t your fault.”  
“But it is. If I wasn’t studying it, there wouldn’t have been so much to steal.” I bit my lip. “Five people have died so far, but I know that it will be worse than that.”  
“If you weren’t studying it, you would be studying something else, and they still would have done this. Beating yourself up for this isn’t going to help, and I know you can get through this.”   
I rested my head against his bare chest. “I was just trying to find an antidote for it, I was trying to help.”  
“I know, Annie. And you’ll continue helping, as soon as you’re allowed back into that lab.” He softly ran his fingers through my hair. “Because that’s who you are. And that’s why I love you.”  
I could feel myself calming down, and the sound of the kettle boiling distracted me. Pulling away, I poured the coffee, stirring in the milk and sugar.   
“I hate how good you are at making me calm.” I laughed, handing his over. “Maybe I wanted to be irrational for a bit longer, dammit.”  
“I don’t like seeing you this upset.” He kissed the tip of my nose.  
“I’m okay, honest. I just needed to hear that this isn’t my fault, I guess. Come on, Bruce is waiting for us.”   
We made our way to Wayne Manor, which was a 35 minute drive from our apartment. I found myself playing with my ring again all the way there, unconsciously spinning it around and around. It was comforting, and made me calm.  
“Is there something wrong with your ring?” Damian asked, looking over at me.  
“What? No, I’m just not used to wearing it yet, so my attention keeps getting drawn to it.” I reached over, squeezing his hand. “It’s perfect, I promise.”  
We climbed out of the car, walking inside. I followed him down to the cave, still not used to being allowed in there. It was such a secret place, and I didn’t feel like I belonged there. Even though Damian went out on his own a lot, separately from Bruce, he was still Robin and this was their space.  
Alfred and Bruce were both waiting for us, and they started talking with Damian whilst I set up my laptop.  
“I’m not sure what I can really help with.” I tucked my hair behind my ears. “I don’t have a way to track the toxin or any samples left. All I have is my notes, which are pretty muddled at the moment.”  
“I need any information you have, especially to do with the symptoms of the poisoning and what the toxin is made of.” Bruce gestured for me to plug my laptop into his computer system.  
I hesitated for a second, until Damian placed his hand on my shoulder. Comforted, I plugged my laptop in and began to explain what I knew.  
“Abrin is an toxalbumin with an LD50 of around 31.4 times less than ricin. It only takes around 3.3 micrograms per kilogram to kill when inhaled.” I pulled up a picture of the structure. “It’s a plant protein that inhibits protein synthesis and has cytotoxic effects in various organ structures.”  
“And there’s no antidote?”  
I shook my head. “That’s what I was trying to find. At the moment, the only treatment is catching it early and getting it off or out of the body as fast as possible. The news said that it was likely being passed around in cocaine, which would make it harder to treat because people are less likely to go to the hospital.”  
Bruce turned to Alfred, and they walked off to talk about something. Damian leaned against the desk, crossing his arms over his chest.  
“I wish I could be more helpful.” I whispered, watching the progress bar crawl along. “I feel like I should know more.”  
“Actually, you’ve been very helpful.” Bruce walked back to us. “There’s been rumours circulating about a new dealer working for the Maroni family. I have a sample of the cocaine from one of the victims, so if I can get some from this dealer, I can compare the mix.”  
“Do you know where this guy operates?” I asked, unplugging my computer once it was finished.  
“In the industrial district, as far as I know.”   
I was quiet for a moment. “Be careful out there. A smaller dose will take up to 72 hours to kill you, but if you get a large dose, it may only take a couple of hours.”  
Damian turned to Bruce as I packed up. “I’ll go out with you tonight, Dad. Just let me get Annie home.”


	4. Digitalis Purpurea

### Chapter Four: Digitalis Purpurea

Making poison is as much fun as making a cake. People like to make poison. If you don’t understand this you will never understand anything. _Margaret Atwood_

I walked through the streets of the industrial district, trying to find this dealer Bruce had spoken of. It was probably stupid to be around there on my own, but I knew how to protect myself. Even so, if I’d told Damian what I was going to do, he would have tried to talk me out of it. I just had to hope that no one recognised me.  
Eventually, I came across a small warehouse that seemed to have a lot of activity. When a young man came out with a white spot of powder under his nose, I knew I was in the right place. I marched in there, finding men with guns standing around another man sitting at a table and portioning out cocaine.  
“How much are you here for?” The man at the table asked.  
“I’m here to find out who’s been lacing cocaine with my toxin samples.”  
He looked up at me in surprise. “Well, I can’t say I expected you to come find me.”  
I felt the cold metal of a gun barrel pressing against the back of my head.   
“Really? Gun to the head? Can’t you be a little more creative than that?” I sighed, before taking action.  
Ducking, I turned and kicked the man in the kneecaps. He dropped his gun as he fell, and I snatched it out of the air. The room erupted into gunfire, a mess of bullets flying in every direction.   
I shot at my attackers, managing to grab a small bag of the cocaine as I escaped back outside. I thought I was free and clear, then a bullet scraped my arm, taking a chunk of my jacket and my skin with it. I was a little rusty at defending myself, but it was good enough.   
Nearly tripping, I managed to regain my footing enough to run back to my car. I began to drive, one hand on the steering wheel, and the other trying to stop my arm from bleeding too much. I’d gotten into a lot of fights before, even been stabbed many times, but I’d never been shot. The hot, searing pain of my wound was worse than anything I’d dealt with before, and by the time I parked, I was beginning to shake and tears were rolling down my cheeks.  
I ran up into my apartment, hoping that Damian was still with Bruce. Apparently my luck had run out though, because he was standing in the kitchen.  
“Annie? Where have you been?” He looked down at my bleeding arm, then up at the tears on my face. “What the hell happened?”  
“Can this conversation wait until I’ve stitched myself up?” I walked past him to the bathroom, pulling off my jacket. “It’s been a long afternoon.”  
“Wait, let me help you.”  
I sat down on the toilet, wiping my tears away with my uninjured arm. I tried not to think about the pain as he touched my arm.  
“Please tell me you didn’t go to the industrial district.” He asked, as he cleaned out my wound.  
When I didn’t reply, he looked up at me with a sigh.   
“Why?”  
“I had to get a sample back.” I pulled the bag out of my pocket. “I’ve been working on this antidote for over a year now, you know that. I’m so close to finding it.”  
“Dad will have one out soon.” He tied a knot in the stitches.  
My tears of pain suddenly turned to angry tears, and I shoved him away. “You really don’t get it, do you?”  
“If a cure saves people, does it matter who creates it?”  
“I have been fighting to prove myself in this field for years. If Bruce comes out with a cure, Batman gets the credit, and I lose the small amount of reputation I’ve managed to build. Alex thinks this is my fault, and if I don’t fix it, I can’t prove that it isn’t.” I stormed out of the room.  
“Annie, wait.”  
I turned to face him, sitting down on the bed. “For what? So you can continue to tell me how smart Bruce is and how he’s going to fix everything? Or about how it’s not my work that matters, just the cure?”  
“Is that was this is about?” He knelt down in front of me, taking hold of my face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise what having your name on the cure would mean for you.”  
“I want to help people, so much, but I want to be respected too. I want to be able to work on what I want, without having to fight for months.” I bit my lip. “And I want you to have my back.”  
“I will always have your back.” He softly kissed me. “I promise.”  
A sharp jolt of pain ripped through my arm, and I winced.  
“I’ll go get something for your pain.”   
Kicking off my shoes, I pulled my feet up onto the bed. I could feel myself beginning to shake again, but I tried to ignore it. I just wanted to sleep and not have to think about anything. Reaching into my bedside table, I pulled out my ring and slipped it onto my finger.  
“Here you go.” He walked back in, holding a glass of water and a couple of pills. “These should help.”  
“I’m so tired.” I whispered, taking them from him.  
“Go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”


	5. Kalmia Latifolia

### Chapter Five: Kalmia Latifolia

There is poison in the fang of the serpent, in the mouth of the fly and in the sting of the scorpion; but the wicked man is saturated in it. _Chanakya_

“What do you expect me to do, Damian? Just sit around the house waiting for something to happen?” I snapped, leaning against the bench.  
“I expect you to be smarter about this, Annie. You confronted them, and now they know who you are. Going back to work could put you in real danger!”   
“I need to do something. People are dying because of my work. I have to fix it.”  
“Dad said he’s nearly worked out the cure…” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realised what he’d said, but it was too late.  
A wave of angry calm came over me, and I looked up at him.  
“You promised you would have my back.” I turned and fled, grabbing my bag on the way.  
As I made it down to the street, I saw a police car coming my way. Two cops climbed out, pointing their guns at me. I raised my hands, more scared than I’d ever been in my life.  
“Annie Walker, you are under arrest for bioterrorism and the murder of ten people.” One of them said, while the other walked round behind me, handcuffing me.  
They pulled me towards the car, and I saw Damian come running out of the building.  
“Damian, I didn’t do it, I swear!” I shouted, as he ran towards me.  
“I know.” He tried to get close, but the other cop stopped him. “I’ll sort this out. Just do what they say, alright?”  
I nodded. I wanted to be calm, but it felt like my heart was about to pound out of my chest. When we drove past the GCPD, I had a really bad feeling and my anxiety got worse.  
“Where… where are we going?” I stammered, not really wanting to know the answer.  
“You’ve been deemed too dangerous for Blackgate Prison. We’re taking you to Arkham.”  
“Without a trial? But I didn’t do anything wrong!”  
“You’ll wait for your trial there.”  
I closed my eyes, trying to steady my heart and my mind. Arkham Asylum was not a place I ever wanted to be, but I was going to have to find a way to deal. Talking to myself wasn’t helping though, and I was still shaking when we pulled up in front of the imposing building.  
As they dragged me out of the car, forcing me towards the door, journalists and paparazzi began to surround us. Too many voices and flashing cameras, and my head began to spin. I almost tripped over, but the policemen held me up.  
I was forced into a room where a female guard made me strip down, handing me the striped uniform. I pulled it on, trying to keep the tears from escaping. They took my ring, my phone, all of my belongings.  
After being seen naked, searched and pulled from place to place, I was shoved into a cell and left alone. Strangely, even though I would have been okay crying at that point, I couldn’t. I felt completely numb, like there was just nothing for me to feel at all.  
I flopped down onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling. There are situations in life that I tend to overthink, over-prepare for. But being accused of a crime I didn’t commit and ending up in an asylum for the criminally insane was not even remotely close to any of them.  
“You look far too nice to be in a place like this.”   
I rolled over, climbing off the bed and walking to the bars. Across the way from me was a man, maybe five years older than me. He had the darkest eyes I’d ever seen, and I knew he belonged where he was. There was and emptiness in his gaze, like he had no empathy for anything or anyone.  
“I don’t remember asking for your opinion.” I asked, sliding my arms through the bars. “Or do you just give it to anyone who will listen?”  
He shrugged. “I have a lot of opinions.”  
“And there’s no one else in this entire place you could be sharing them with?”  
“Most of the people in this place are barely able to string a sentence together.” He laughed. “I’d be surprised if they could even comprehend any of what I say to them. So what did you do to end up here?”  
I didn’t reply, just sat back on the bed silently.  
“That bad?”  
“I didn’t technically do anything. I worked at a lab studying plant poison. It was robbed a week ago.” I leaned back on my hands. “I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t a suspect until they did my background check.”  
“Oh, you’re that chick. But you’re dating Damian Grayson, aren’t you? There can’t possibly be that much in your background that you would end up here.”  
“The media probably said my name is Annie Walker. That’s technically true, but any good background check would have found that I changed my name four years ago when I ran from my family. I’m honestly surprised they didn’t arrest me under my real name.” I sighed. “The only person who knew my real name before all this was Damian. My real identity is probably all over the news by now.”  
“So who are you?”  
“You first. I’ve told you half my life story so far. When do I get some information? Why are you here?”   
He leaned his head against the bars. “Roman Sionis. In here for torture, murder, theft, you name it, I’ve probably done it. And I would have kept doing it, if I hadn’t been stopped by Joker.”  
“My real name is Anya Volkov.”  
His eyes grew wide, and he stared at me. I stared right back at him, as if I was daring him to speak.  
“You’re fucking with me, right?”  
I shook my head. “I wish I was. I’d rather be related to anyone else than my father. He wanted a son to take control of his mercenary empire when he died, but he got me instead. Spent my whole life hearing I was unwanted.”  
“So go back and kill him. You’ll feel much better. It’s what I did.”  
“Killing him won’t make me better.” I gave him a look of disbelief. “You really do belong here.”  
“Darling, don’t pretend like you’re better than those of us in here. We all know what you’ve done, and it’s just as bad as most of what we’ve done.”  
“I’m not that person anymore.”  
“I think you believe that, but I don’t think it’s true. I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”


	6. Adenium Obesium

### Chapter Six: Adenium Obesum

We are able to find everything in our memory, which is like a dispensary or chemical laboratory in which chance steers our hand sometimes to a soothing drug and sometimes to a dangerous poison. _Marcel Proust_

“There’s someone here to see you.” The guard, whose name I’d learned was Aaron Cash, told me, unlocking my cell door.  
“Who is it?” I held my hands out so he could cuff me.  
I’d learned pretty quickly that it was better to just follow their orders, that way I wouldn’t get punished. But what he said next changed my mind.  
“Your father.”  
I whipped my hands away from him, trying to keep him from taking me. “No. He can fuck off.”  
“You don’t have a choice about this.” He replied, as another guard walked in.  
They pushed me up against the wall, cuffing my hands in front of me. With a hand on my back, Cash forced me out of the cell, ignoring my arguing.  
“Let go of me.” I fought against them, but they pushed me on, knocking me to the ground.  
“Get up.” They dragged me to my feet. “Stop fighting, or we’ll restrain you.”  
The thought of being put in a straitjacket scared me just as much as my father, and I quietened down. It was only a short walk through the corridors to the interview room, and they threw me into the chair, chaining my hands to the table.   
I took a deep breath, trying not to panic. There was a lot about my family that I didn’t want to remember or relive.   
The visitors door opened, and my father, the one man I would have given anything not to have seen again, stormed in. The angry look on his face sent adrenaline through my veins as memory after memory of his actions resurfaced in my mind.  
“How dare you tarnish our family name again!” He punched me, his fist thudding into my jaw.  
My mouth filled up with blood, and I spat it out on the floor. It hurt, but not as much as it used to. I wasn’t afraid of him anymore, so any pain was purely physical.  
“Fuck you.” I opened my mouth wide, trying to stop it from getting tight as the bruise began to set in. “I was never part of your family. You never wanted me.”  
“You’re right. I wanted a son, but instead I got you.” He took hold of my chin. “Pathetic little Anya, who couldn’t do anything right. Arrested at 22 for trying to poison your boyfriend. No wonder you went down this career path. But you actually succeeded at killing people this time.”  
“You set me up to get caught. He never did anything to you, why did you want him dead?”   
“He gave you far too much of a confidence boost. You were walking around thinking you were actually worth something. Obviously I couldn’t have that, not at all.”  
“Are you here for an actual reason?” I asked, ignoring his attempts to upset me. “Or are you here to continue being the same asshole you’ve always been?”  
“I’m here to make sure you don’t embarrass us further.. And don’t talk to me like that.”  
“Or what? You’ll hit me again?” I swallowed some blood. “Go ahead. You don’t have any power over me anymore. You can go back home and leave me the fuck alone.”  
He slapped me this time, and I watched my blood spray across the table. Then he turned on his heel and left, massaging his knuckles.  
“I know you’re watching.” I called out to the guard. “Are you satisfied yet? Can I go back to my cell now?”  
“There’s someone else waiting to see you.” The guard replied over the intercom, as the door opened again.  
“Annie?” Damian looked in cautiously. “Was that your…”  
He saw my face and came running over. “What the hell happened?”  
“Yeah, that was my father. He didn’t like the way I spoke to him, so he punched me.”   
“No wonder you left home.” He took a look at my jaw. “I’m sorry I haven’t gotten you out of here yet. I’m working on it. How are you doing?”  
“Honestly…? I’m scared that I’m actually going to go insane in here, Damian.”   
“You won’t, I promise. You’re going to be fine.” He brushed my hair out of my eyes. “I have to go now, but I’ll be back as soon as I can. I love you. You didn’t do anything, okay?”  
“I love you too.”  
He kissed me on the forehead and walked back out. There was a moment of silence, then I heard the door behind me open. The guards unchained me and escorted me back to my cell.  
Sitting down on the bed, I softly rubbed my jaw. It was really beginning to ache and I knew I wouldn’t get any help in this place.  
“Who beat you up?” I heard Roman ask.  
I sighed, not really wanting to talk. But if I didn’t keep my jaw moving, it was going to hurt more.  
“My dad.”  
“Why?”  
“I’m an embarrassment to the family.” I shrugged. “I wasn’t born a boy. I talked back to him. Pick your reason. They all fit.”  
“Should’ve punched him back.”  
“Because that would have made the situation so much better. Fuck off.”  
A guard came past, unlocking my cell again.  
“What’s going on?” I asked.  
Suddenly he grabbed me, reaching towards me with a syringe.   
“What the fuck?” I fought against him, but he was far stronger than me.  
He spun me around, holding me tightly against him as he injected whatever drug in was into my neck. I scratched at his arm, desperately trying to get away, but the drug was fast acting, and a numbness spread through my body. I collapsed against the guard, quickly slipping into unconsciousness.


	7. Cicuta Maculata

### Chapter Seven: Cicuta Maculata

It's only by becoming familiar with poisons that you can make the best antidotes. _Aprilynne Pike, Destined_

The first thing I felt as I returned to consciousness was cold metal against my back. I was strapped down to something, and I opened my eyes, trying not to panic. I knew I would be rescued sooner or later, especially since the minute my disappearance was reported, either Bruce or Damian would have activated the tracker in my foot. With my history, I didn’t want to take a chance, so I’d insisted they put one on me.  
I was in a brightly lit, sterile room and standing over me was Roman. I looked up at him, first in disbelief than blinding rage. On the ceiling behind him was a security camera.  
“The fuck is this?” I asked, struggling against the restraints. “Did you seriously break me out of Arkham just to trap me wherever we are?”  
“Relax. I broke you out to make a deal.” He ran a knife up my arm.  
“Well, untie me and we can talk.”  
He shook his head. “Can’t do that. It’s not really my style. When you agree to the deal, then I’ll let you out.”  
“Fine. What do you want?” I sighed, looking up at the ceiling.  
“I want to use your poison knowledge to take the city back from Joker.”  
“No! Did you honestly think I would agree to that? What part of leaving my family so I didn’t have to kill anyone else escaped you?”  
The knife was now at my stomach, and he cut into the fabric of my asylum uniform.   
“I can be very convincing.”  
I rolled my eyes as he ripped the bottom of my shirt off, revealing the scars on my skin.  
“There’s nothing you can do to me that my father hasn’t already done.” I admitted. “I mean, I guess you could try, but it didn’t work for him, so I doubt it will work for you.”  
He gave me a sly smile, before leaving the room. I mentally smacked myself, realising that I should have just let him use the knife. With no idea what he was going to do, I knew I needed to get out. But in order to do that, I was either going to have to break skin or a bone. With the security camera likely filming, I knew I wouldn’t have long once I started.  
I slid my left arm as far out of the strap as I could, testing the tightness. There was a good chance that I would dislocate my thumb trying this, but there wasn’t much choice. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and yanked my arm as hard as I could. I felt the clunk as my thumb jerked out of place and a sharp pain shot up my arm.  
Moving quickly, I undid all of my restraints and tumbled off the bed. I knew someone would be coming in soon, so I stood where the door would protect me for a second and popped my thumb back in. Ripping off the rest of the strip of my shirt, I twisted it around my fists and waited.  
A moment later, the door opened and a man walked in. Before he had a chance to turn around, I leapt forwards, wrapping the fabric around his neck and pulling tight. He fought me, slamming me back against the wall, but I held firm. I’d let go of a lot of what my father had taught me, but I’d kept up with practicing all of my self-defence.  
As he pulled at the fabric, I kicked him behind the knees, dropping him into a kneeling position. I could feel him weakening, and then he finally passed out. I stretched my hands out, ignoring the pain in my thumb, then rifled through the unconscious guard’s pockets. With the knife in my left hand and the gun in my right, I stepped out into the hallway.  
It was quiet, and I hoped that the guard hadn’t set off an alarm or told Roman that I was escaping. I looked both ways down the corridor, but neither direction seemed like the way to an exit. Right always seemed like the a good direction, so I went that way. The corridor twisted around, leading into a blind corner. I hesitated, uncertain, but only for a second.  
I stepped around it, sighing when I realised I’d walked right in to Roman. He pointed his gun at me, and I raised my hands in the air, dropping my weapons to the floor.  
“That was much faster than I expected.” He commented, gesturing for me to continue down the hallway. “I assumed you would be out of practice.”  
“I still have enemies. I upset a lot of people when I was younger.” I walked forwards slowly, watching a door open in front of me. “I figured staying in shape was probably a good idea.  
“I thought you would have been smarter than just turning a corner like that though.” He pushed me into the room, shutting me inside and looking in at me.  
It was a much less sterile-looking room, with a proper bed and a door leading to a bathroom. No windows though, and a solid metal door to the corridor. I sat down on the bed, crossing my legs.  
“Now you understand why my father is so disappointed.” I shrugged, looking around. “So what’s the plan here? Lull me into a false sense of security so you can fuck with my mind later? Or leave me here in isolation until I’m so desperate for human contact that I’ll do anything you ask me to?”  
“I like to think I’m far more creative than that.”  
“Well, whenever you’re ready.” I pulled my hair over my shoulder. “Oh, and if it’s not too much of a bother, could I have some warmer clothes?”  
He gave me an incredulous look. “Really?”  
“If you’re going to torture me, you can at least let me be warm. You don’t seem like the hands off type, so I’m going to assume cold torture isn’t going to come into this.”  
“I’ll see what I can find.” He rolled his eyes, walking away.


	8. Scopolia Carniolica

###  Chapter Eight: Scopolia Carniolica

After all, evil was a kind of poison, an infection of the soul. _John Connolly, The Whisperers_

“Look at me.” Roman demanded, grabbing my chin.  
“That would be a lot easier if you’d stop punching me so hard I literally can’t see.” I snapped back as I blinked, trying to clear my vision.  
“This really could be a lot easier if you just said yes.” He ran his switchblade along my jawline, staring straight into my eyes.  
I shuffled in the seat, trying to move my face away from the blade. “Say yes to what? Because the way you’re looking at me right now makes me think you’re trying to fuck me.”  
“Being smart is going to get you killed one day.”  
“Look, can you just do whatever it is you plan on doing so we can both get on with our lives. I’m sure there’s other people who are far more afraid of you that you’d rather be torturing, and I’d like to get home to my fiancé.”  
He nodded at someone behind me. I felt something wrap around my throat and tighten until I could barely breathe. It was loose enough that I could catch a small breath every so often, but that somehow made it worse. And I couldn’t fight it, because I was very tightly strapped down to the chair. No amount of struggling would get me out, but I still did it anyway.  
“Careful. We don’t want to kill her.” He looked up at whoever it was that was choking me. “I know she hurt you first, but if she dies before the transfer, we lose the money.”  
My head was getting heavy, and I could feel a blackness closing in on me. I couldn’t fight anymore, my body wouldn’t let me.   
“That’s enough.”  
The pressure on my throat released, and I gasped for breath. I didn’t know how much longer I could handle any of this, but I didn’t give in to my father, so there was no way in hell I was going to give in to this asshole.  
“Having fun?” I wheezed, glaring up at him.  
“Not as much fun as I could be. Not yet anyway.” He grinned back at me. “See, you’ve been through so much other torture that I actually have to think about what I’m going to do to you. The basic stuff just doesn’t get through.”  
“Gosh, I’m so glad I’m making this such a challenge for you. I’m sure you can hang your torture medal up with the many I’m sure you have for being an absolute dick.”  
He slammed the knife into my left hand, basically pinning it to the chair. I closed my eyes, trying to hold back the tears as the pain shot through me. Years of abuse had taught me how to distract my mind from pain, but it still took me a few moments to collect my thoughts. It wasn’t perfect either, but it was enough that I could make him think I wasn’t hurting.   
As I focused my mind on positive things, mostly Damian, I slowly opened my eyes again. Roman looked a little surprised at my lack of reaction, and I could tell he was getting angry.  
“Bandage her hand, Jack.” He told the man behind me as he pulled the knife back out. “I’ll be back in a minute.”  
He left the room, and Jack, the man who choked me sat down, trying to stop my hand from bleeding.  
“Sorry about choking you out.” I whispered, looking at the bruised line on his neck. “But I had to at least try and escape. I’m not really a fan of being caged up.”  
“Why do you argue back?” He asked, pressing gauze to both sides of my hand. “He would be a lot nicer to you if you just agree to do what he asks.”  
“Because I’m never going to agree. I’ve been through all this before, it’s not new to me. My father never got the answers he wanted, and neither will Roman.”  
“He’ll kill you if you keep resisting.”  
I shook my head. “He’s clearly pretty interested in whatever money he’s been promised by someone to keep me around.”  
I watched him bandage my hand, before he left me in that room alone. Exhaustion was beginning to hit, and I just wanted to get out of there. I was talking a big game, but I knew there was only so long I could continue this before I cracked.  
As my mind drifted to happier things, I could hear footsteps coming towards me. Roman stepped back into my vision, sitting on the chair.  
“If I’m going to die here, can I at least get a cigarette? I quit years ago, but since I’m pretty sure I’m not going to live much longer, it’s not like I need to worry about cancer.” I asked, watching as he pulled a roll of duct tape out of his pocket.  
“If I’m feeling generous later, I might bring you one. But for now…” He stuck a piece of the tape over my mouth. “I’m sick of hearing your voice.”   
I glared at him, pissed off.   
“I’ll admit, it’s much more fun to go about this when my victim screams, but since you don’t seem to do that, I’ll go without the noise.”   
“Fuck you.” I tried to say through the tape, but only muffled noises came out.  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.” He leaned in with a grin.  
Sensing an opportunity, I slammed my head into his. I dazed myself, but it was worth it see his nose begin to bleed. I saw the return punch coming, but there was nothing I could do, and he knocked me straight out.


	9. Ricinus Communis

### Chapter Nine: Ricinus Communis

The more hidden the venom, the more dangerous it is. _Marguerite De Valois_

I lay on the bed, watching the ceiling. I was beginning to wonder if Damian was coming to rescue me, because it felt like I’d been there forever. It was hard to be sure how long though, because I’d had barely any sleep. With no windows, there was no way for me to know whether it was day or night, and it was beginning to mess with my sleep cycle. It didn’t help that every time I fell asleep they woke me up with various loud and annoying noises.  
As I nodded off again, a screeching alarm echoed through the room. I jerked awake, feeling my heart pound in my chest. Looking up at the door, I could see Roman watching me.  
“Sleep deprivation.” I whispered, sleepily. “Gotta hand it to you, this one is hard to get through.”  
“I told you I could be creative.” He tapped on the bars. “Are you ready to discuss my offer?”  
“You’re not going to get what you want from me. But you’re welcome to come in and try.” I sat up, rubbing my eyes.  
“I might do that.” He opened the door, carrying a chair.   
A couple of his men that I didn’t recognise also entered, grabbing me and throwing me into the chair. As they tied me up, my mind was telling me to fight, but I was just too exhausted. It was getting harder and harder to keep my eyes open, but I knew that they wouldn’t let me go to sleep.  
Roman sat down on the bed, facing me. “Now, let’s talk.”  
“About what? How you’re an unbelievable asshole?” My head was so heavy, but I kept my eyes on him.   
“Why are you so against working for me?”   
I barely heard him, drifting off instead. Suddenly I felt him slap me, his hand connecting with my cheek.   
“Stay awake!” He snapped, pressing his knife to my neck.  
“I’m trying.” I was getting frustrated.  
“Try harder. Answer my question.”  
I could feel the blade starting to dig into my skin, and I glared at him. “Fuck you. That’s why.”  
He pulled the knife away from my neck, shoving it into the outside of my thigh. I gritted my teeth, trying not to let him see how much it hurt.  
“Answer the question.” He pulled the knife back out.  
“No.” I snapped, trying to ignore the warm blood flowing over my leg. “Are you planning on letting me bleed to death? I’m sure you don’t want to lose your money.”  
He rolled his eyes, pulling a bandage out of the first aid box I hadn’t noticed he’d brought in. He wrapped it around my leg, stifling the bleeding.  
“Could we speed this up?” I asked.   
“I wouldn’t want to rush things. We’re just getting to know each other.” He slid the knife across my cheek, tapping it against the end of my nose.  
“What do you want from me? I’m not going to say yes to you.”   
“Yes you will. Everyone does eventually.” He stood up, walking out of the room.   
When he didn’t return straight away, I closed my eyes, quickly falling asleep again. I was woken soon after by Roman hitting me again. Even though I felt like I’d only been asleep for a few minutes, it was apparently long enough for them to move me into yet another place. It seemed to be a closed off outdoor area of some sort.   
I looked around, finding that I was sitting next to a small fire. I was still tied down, and my leg was hurting a lot. Even though I was near the fire, I could feel that the air was cold.  
“How long are you going to prolong this?” Roman asked, picking up the poker and playing with the wood in the fire.  
“Until I’m dead or you give up.”   
“I’ve never been one for giving up.” He pulled the poker back out, looking at the red-hot tip. “Did your father ever do this?”  
My eyes grew wide as I realised what he was going to do, memories of the pain coming to the front of my mind. He pressed it to the back of my hand. I was too tired and out of control to hold back the pain this time. It felt like my skin was melting and I cried out.  
“So you do still feel pain.” He whispered, dunking the poker in a bucket of water.  
“Just because things have been done to me before, doesn’t mean I don’t still feel them.” I felt angry and pained tears rolling down my cheeks. “They just won’t convince me to work for you.”  
“I’ll just have to keep trying.” He kicked some dirt over the fire, stamping down the embers. “You can wait out here in the cold for now.”  
Picking up the bucket, he pour the freezing water over my head. I began to shiver almost immediately, the cold seeping into my bones.  
“F… Fuck you.” I stammered.   
He grinned at me, sliding his knife in his pocket. As he turned to leave, I heard shouting coming from inside the warehouse. I watched him run inside, and I wanted to know what was going on, but I could barely stay conscious. My eyes kept trying to close on their own and I wanted to give in.  
I was almost out when I heard footsteps coming towards me. I forced my eyes open one more time, finding Damian crouching in front of me in his Robin suit. I blinked a couple of times, unsure if he was real.  
“Are you real?” I was shivering so much it hurt, every part of me feeling so cold.  
“It’s really me, I promise. I’m going to get you out of here.”  
I nodded, drifting off again.   
“Hey, stay awake for me.” He took hold of my face.  
“I’m so tired. Everything hurts. It’s so cold.”  
“I know. But you need to stay awake until the ambulance gets here.”   
I nodded, watching him undo the straps holding me to the chair. All of my limbs felt so heavy, and the aches of everything Roman had done to me over the past few days suddenly hit. I tried to stand, clinging onto his arm, but my legs gave out from under me.  
“Whoa, I’ve got you.” He lifted me up, carrying me out towards some flashing lights.  
My vision began to swim as I fought to stay awake, but there was just nothing left in me. I closed my eyes, succumbing to the wave of tiredness.


	10. Gloriosa Superba

### Chapter Ten: Gloriosa Superba

There were poisons so subtle, that to know their properties, one had to sicken of them. _Oscar Wilde_

The first thing I felt as I slowly woke up was pain. Every part of me seemed to hurt, but my chest hurt the most. I opened my eyes, blinded for a moment by fluorescent lights above me. As my eyes adjusted, I looked around, finding myself in a hospital bed. Damian was asleep in a chair beside me, curled up in what looked like an uncomfortable position.  
“Annie?” He sleepily opened his eyes.  
“Hey…” I sat up, wincing in pain. “I’m getting really sick of waking up in random places.”  
He came over, sitting on the bed. “I bet. How are you feeling?”  
“Sore.” I wanted to say more, but the door opened.  
When Commissioner Gordon walked in, I felt my heart begin to race. I looked up at Damian, suddenly scared that I was going to be sent back to the asylum.  
“I don’t want to go back, please don’t send me back.” I started to panic. “I didn’t do anyth…”  
“Hey, hey. Shh…” Damian interrupted me, softly touching my face. “That isn’t happening, I promise. But you need to listen to Gordon.”  
I nodded, taking a deep breath and trying to calm down.  
“I know you didn’t do it, Miss Walker.” Gordon stood near the bed. “I didn’t approve your arrest, but the mayor overruled me. I’m here because I want to ask you a couple of questions about your boss.”  
“About Alex?”  
“When you were taken from the asylum, we put a tail on him, because we assumed you’d escaped and would go to him for help. He went to a warehouse where one of Maroni’s dealers worked. We have reason to believe that he’s been working for Falcone, helping to bring down the Maroni family.”  
“Are you saying that he did this?” I asked, wrapping my arms around myself. “That he released the poison?”  
“We’re not sure yet, but the evidence is piling up against him. But I need to know if he’s ever said anything that made you think he might do something like this.” He opened his notebook. “Did he ever talk about wanting revenge for anything, or wanting to hurt anyone?”  
“I…” I tried to think. “I don’t think so. He got angry easily, but he never really said anything that concerned me.”  
“If you think of anything, please let me know. I’m sorry for how my men treated you. I’ll keep you updated when I know more.”  
With that, he turned and left the room. I looked out the window, trying to hold myself together. Feeling Damian take my hand, I turned back to look at him.  
“What did Roman do to you?” He asked.  
I brushed my hair out of my eyes. The pain of the brand shot through me, and I couldn’t fight back the tears. “I don’t remember all of it. They kept me awake for so long, I only remember bits and pieces.”  
“I’m sorry it took so long for me to get you out of there. I should have been there on the first day.” He wrapped his arms around me. “Your tracker started glitching out, and Dad wanted to make sure we wouldn’t walk right into a trap.”  
“How long was I there?”   
“Two weeks.” He was so quiet that I barely heard it.  
“Two weeks?” I pushed his hands away in surprised anger. “It took you fourteen days to figure out if it was a trap?”  
“I’m sorry, Annie. You know how Dad is. Everything has to be done his way, or it doesn’t happen. If I’d pushed any harder, he wouldn’t have let me come at all.”   
Even though I knew he was right, I was still upset that I’d been there for so long without help. The new scars that Roman had added to all the ones from my father were weighing on me. When I ran from my family, I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t let myself be treated like that again, but as soon as I was back in that situation, I just let it happen.  
“I’m not mad at you.” I sighed. “I just… the last time I was that scared was just before I left my family. But I didn’t have anyone last time. When I woke up in that place, I thought it would be different, because you would come for me. Then it went on and on, and it felt like I was abandoned there. I knew you wouldn’t do that, but it was how I was feeling. Can we get out of here soon? I just want to go home.”  
He leaned over, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “The doctor said you need to stay here for a few days, because you’re a little malnourished. I’ll go get him so you can talk.”  
“Wait.” I took hold of his hand.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“They took my ring. At the asylum. I don’t know if we can get it back.”  
“I got it back while you were still asleep.” He reached into his pocket, pulling it out. “Everything else is back at home, but I thought you might want this now.”  
“Thank you.” I whispered, nearly crying again. “I love you. So much.”  
“I love you too. I’ll be back soon.”


	11. Caladium Lindenii

### Chapter Eleven: Caladium Lindenii

Men become accustomed to poison by degrees. _Victor Hugo_

I stood in front of the mirror in my underwear, looking at all the cuts and bruises on my skin. I’d been fed the bare minimum while I was held captive, and I’d clearly lost weight. My curves had turned to boniness, and I looked so pale and sick.  
“Annie? I’m home!” I heard Damian call.  
I pulled on a hoodie, nearly bursting into tears when I saw how it looked. Everything felt like such a mess, and I was tired and so hungry, but I couldn’t just eat whatever I wanted yet.Even though I’d only become mildly malnourished, the doctor at the hospital had told me to be careful and not just flood my system with any old food.  
“Hey, is everything alright?” He walked into the bathroom.  
I turned to face him, shaking my head as I started to cry. He helped me over to the bed, sitting down beside me.  
“I’m so hungry.” I whispered, lying down with my head in his lap. “I know that I can only eat a small amount of proper food right now, but I just want some chips and pizza. And I look so thin and sick. I don’t look like myself anymore. I feel so ugly. And my hand and thigh hurt. A lot.”  
“I can’t imagine what all this feels like, and I won’t pretend I have any idea. But I can promise that as soon as you can eat whatever you want again, I will cook you so much pizza and chips that you’ll put all the weight you lost back on in just a few days.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “But for now, the doctor said you can have some ice cream if you want, so I bought the good stuff. Do you want me to bring some in here for you?”  
“No, it’s okay. I’ll come out. I just want to put on some more clothes. I’m so cold at the moment.” I got up and walked to the dresser, pulling out some pyjama pants. “I’m sorry for everything.”  
“You don’t need to apologise.” He walked over, taking hold of my left hand and showing me my ring. “See this? This means I will be here to help you and take care of you whenever you need me. Now, do you want to walk to the lounge, or should I carry you?”  
“I think I’ll walk this time. The doctor said I should start moving more.” I followed him out to the lounge room, sitting down on the couch. “I was wondering if we could get a treadmill or stationary bike or something. I want to work my strength back up, but I don’t really want to go out yet.”  
“I’ll go get you one tomorrow.” He headed into the kitchen. “Are you still feeling cold?”  
“A little, but I can just pull the blanket on.” I wrapped it around me, turning on the TV with the volume down low.  
“Here.” He returned, holding a small bowl of ice cream.  
I gave him a big smile, taking it and having a small bite. He sat down, biting his lip uncomfortably.  
“I need to tell you something, but I don’t want you to panic, okay?”  
“Okay?” I nodded.  
“This came the other day. It was addressed to both of us, so I opened it.” He handed me a thick envelope.  
As soon as I saw the handwriting, I knew who it was from. I took a deep breath, opening it. Inside was a bunch of photos. They were all surveillance photos of me. Some with Damian, and some of just me. Some of them were really old, but there were a few I recognised as being just a couple of months earlier.  
“I knew he couldn’t just let me leave.” I angrily threw the photos on the floor. “I don’t know why I’m even surprised that he’s been watching me.”  
“Do you know why he would send the photos to us?”  
“Because he’s a manipulative ass that likes scaring me? I don’t know why he does anything. I’m sorry for this.”  
“Nah, don’t be. It’s not like I don’t have my share of crazy family members.” He looked down at his phone. “I have to go out for a bit. Dad wants me to go over some things with him. Will you be okay here? Or do you want to come with?”  
“I’ll stay here. I’m probably just going to nap or something.”   
He leaned over, kissing me gently. “Don’t worry about any of this. I’ll deal with it.”  
“I know. You always do.” I squeezed his hand. “I’ll see you later.”  
As he headed out the door, I lay down. The photos caught my eye again, and I sighed. I needed to get rid of them, or it would just keep invading my mind. I got up off the couch, collecting them off the floor and throwing them in the bin.   
I limped back to the couch, wincing as the wound on my leg began to ache. I was so ready to just sleep off the pain, but sleep didn’t come. All I had was anxiety, pain and frustration, but I closed my eyes anyway, just listening to the quiet sounds of the TV.


	12. Arnica Montana

### Chapter Twelve: Arnica Montana

I know too well the poison and the sting of things too sweet. _Adelaide Anne Procter_

“You’re cute when you’re jogging.” Damian leaned on the front of the treadmill.  
“It’s hard to exercise when you’re flirting with me.” I puffed, enjoying the burn in my legs. “Or are you trying to get me to stop?”  
“I might be.”  
“Alright. Let me warm down. I’ll be a few more minutes.” I laughed, slowing my speed. “I’m sure you can entertain yourself for a little longer.”  
He sighed, in mock frustration. “I suppose.”  
I dropped to a walk, before slowing to a stop. My muscles were sore, but I didn’t care. It was good to be getting back to where I was before everything happened.  
I walked into the bedroom, where Damian was lying on the bed reading something. He sat up when he saw me.  
“All done?”  
“Yeah. I’m just going to get changed.” I headed through to the bathroom.   
Stepping on the scales, I was happy to see that I was gaining weight. Then I stripped down to my underwear, looking at myself in the mirror. My curves were coming back, and I was beginning to look like myself again. But I wasn’t myself again yet, and I felt insecure about it.  
“You’re beautiful, you know that right?” Damian reminded me. “How’s your hand?”  
I turned, finding him leaning against the door frame. “I know. I just don’t feel it right now. The wound seems to have mostly healed up. It just feels really bruised.”  
“I’ll just have to keep telling you until you believe it, I guess.” He walked over, stopping behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.  
“I could definitely stand to hear it a couple more times.” I looked at him in the mirror. “Now, since I’m finally allowed to eat anything I want, I believe I was promised some pizza.”  
“I could start cooking now, or…” He kissed my neck softly.  
I turned to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I dunno, I do really love pizza.”  
“I guess I should go cook some then.”   
He turned to leave, but I stopped him, pulling him back by his shirt. I kissed him hard, holding him tightly.   
“Are you sure you’re ready?”   
I nodded, running my fingers through his dark, shaggy hair. “Only if you stop talking right now and kiss me.”  
He lifted me onto the bench, taking hold of my face. I loved the way he always made me wait a few seconds before kissing me, while he gazed at me.   
My heart was pounding in my chest as he finally pressed his lips to mine. I wanted him to kiss me harder, touch me everywhere, but I wanted it to last.  
He deepened the kiss, nudging my lips open with his. I sank into him, wrapping my legs around his waist and pulling him closer against me. As I tugged at his shirt, he slid his hands under my thighs, picking me up and carrying me into the bedroom. He put me down on the dresser, yanking his shirt off over his head.  
I reached out, tracing the scars on his bare chest. Every one of them told a story, but he didn’t really talk about them. Even in the years we’d been together, he’d only told me about a couple of them.  
“Will you ever tell me what happened to you?” I asked, running my fingers over the longest one.  
“I can’t.” He gently pushed my hands away.  
I slid off the dresser, pulling my hoodie on. “I love you so much, and I want to marry you, but I need to know that you trust me enough to tell me about your past, Damian. I thought you proposing to me meant that you were ready to talk about this.”  
“I do trust you. I just… there’s things I haven’t even told Dad.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, not looking me in the eye. “I don’t want to think about some of it.”  
“But that’s what marriage is about.” I sat down on the bed. “You let me support you with your shit, and I let you support me with mine.”  
I pat the bed with my hand, gesturing for him to join me. He sat down, with his back against the headboard and his arms around his knees.   
“I don’t want to put you on the spot.” I reached for his hand. “I just need to know that you will tell me soon.”  
He was quiet for a moment. “I will. I just need a couple of days to sort through my thoughts.”  
I crawled over, touching his chest as I kissed him. He pushed me down onto the bed, straddling my hips, his hands on mine.


	13. Sambucus Australis

### Chapter Thirteen: Sambucus Australis

Your scent may be exquisite, but it's telling me that you're poison. _Anthony T. Hincks_

I was reading on the couch when Damian walked into the apartment, sitting down beside me.   
“You should check out the news.” He said, reaching for the remote to turn on the TV.  
“Alexander Richards, the manager of the Gotham City Medical Lab, has been arrested and charged with the break-in and theft of the Abrin toxin that has so far lead to the deaths of 28 people. Commissioner Gordon is confident that the GCPD has found the source of the tainted cocaine, and removed it. A cure was also released yesterday. If you start to feel symptoms after using cocaine, please go to your nearest emergency department.”  
The reporter continued talking, but I ignored it. I had no idea a cure had come out, and I was pissed I hadn’t been told. Grabbing the remote from Damian’s hand, I turned off the TV.  
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, quietly. “Was it Bruce?”  
“I didn’t know. I’m honestly just as surprised as you. I’d only heard about your former boss being arrested. I’m really sorry.”   
He looked genuinely surprised and upset. I shook my head, taking his hand.  
“It’s alright. I’m not really that upset. It just… if this was Bruce, then it was off the back of my work, and no one will ever know.” I sighed, running my fingers along one of the scars on his arm. “But there’s no point being upset about this when the lives of others are on the line.”  
I rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes.  
“What can I do?” He asked, playing with my hair. “I was going to tell you more about my past today, but I feel like now is not the time.”  
“I’ll be alright, I promise. Just need a little time to work out what I’m going to do with my life next.” I looked up at him. “But if you wanted to kiss me, I wouldn’t stop you.”  
“I think I can do that.” He pulled me into his lap, holding my waist.   
I kissed him, wrapping my arms around his neck. My hand was still so sore, but pain never seemed to matter when he was holding me. It was the only time my pain ever fully went away.  
He lifted his shirt off, then kissed me again, moving to my neck. He found my favourite spot, softly grazing it with his teeth, making me gasp. I softly pushed him away for a moment.  
“Will you tell me about this one?” I asked, running my fingers across the long scar near his collarbone.  
“I got that scar from my cousin, Mara. She targeted me as part of her initiation into the League of Assassins. When she came for me, I…” He trailed off, looking away from me. “I did what I had to do to survive.”  
“Hey…” I gently placed my finger under his chin, turning his face back to mine. “Nothing you say to me will change anything, I promise. If I had a problem with who you used to be, I would have run off a long time ago. It’s not like I haven’t done anything bad either.”  
“I wish I had more ways to tell you how much I love you.”   
“I think you do a pretty good job of it already.” I brushed his hair out of his eyes. “Can I ask about another scar?”  
He nodded, softly kissing me.  
“This one.” I touched one that stretched across his toned abs.  
“That one…” He was quiet for a moment, and I worried that I’d upset him.  
“You don’t have to answer. I’m sorry if I upset you.”  
“It’s alright. I want to tell you. This one is just… from a really dark period of my teenage years.” He bit his lip. “When I moved here, to live with Dad, I was so violent and cold. Going out at night with him, I would act recklessly, getting into unnecessary fights so I would have an excuse to kill.”  
I wanted to interrupt him, tell him that he wasn’t evil or violent, but I knew that if I did, he probably wouldn’t continue the story.  
“One night, when I was angry at Dad for what I felt was him trying to hold me back, I walked into Falcone’s bar and picked a fight with everyone in there. I’m lucky I even managed to get out of there alive. But on the way out, some guy managed to get me with his knife. I nearly bled out on my way back to the cave.”  
He sighed, running his hand down my leg. “Dad was pissed that I’d done something so stupid. He didn’t trust me for years after that.”  
“That must have been hard for you.” I whispered sympathetically, tracing his lips with my finger.  
“It was like a constant battle between the way I was raised and wanting to make Dad proud of me.” He caught my hand, squeezing it gently.   
“Honey, you could have told me all of this a long time ago.”   
“I guess I just wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. I’m sorry, I should have told you sooner.”  
I shook my head. “If you aren’t ready, that’s okay. I just wanted you to know that you can tell me anything, and I’m not going to stop loving you.”  
“I think I’m going to have to marry you.”   
“I’m glad you worked that out after you gave me the ring.” I laughed, climbing off his lap. “What do you want for dinner?”


	14. Strychnos Nux-Vomica

### Chapter Fourteen: Strychnos nux-vomica

One tiny poisonous spider can kill a very large man if it bites him in the right place. _Michael Monroe, Afterlife_

The sound of my phone ringing jerked me out of my sleep, and I rolled onto my side, annoyed. I was alone in the bed, which meant Damian was still out with Bruce.   
“Hello?” I answered, still half asleep.  
“So, Anya,” My father’s voice came through the speaker. “Were you aware of what your boyfriend does at night?”  
My heart leapt into my throat, and I freaked out. “How…?”  
“Annie?” It was Damian’s voice this time.  
“Damian? I’m so sorry.” I began to cry. “I’m going to get you out of this, I promise.”  
There was silence for a moment, then my father’s voice again.  
“You have one hour, Anya. Warehouse 10 at the docks. Come alone.”   
“Dad, why are you doing this? What do you want from me?” I climbed out of bed, pulling some clothes on.   
“You damaged the reputation of your family by getting arrested and you will return home with me for your punishment.”  
“Just… just don’t hurt him, please.”   
“I can’t make that promise if you don’t get here in time.” He ended the call.  
I pulled on my jacket, running down to my car. It was a 15 minute drive to the warehouse, which would give me enough time to work out a way to get in there, get Damian and get out. I drove to the lab, pushing past the police tape to get inside. I ran to the drugs section, looking for anything I could use to get in there quietly.  
Grabbing a paralytic off the shelf, I filled a few syringes, replacing the caps and putting them in my pockets. I also grabbed the counteracting drug, just in case anything went wrong.  
I had 25 minutes left and I drove too fast, too stupidly to the warehouse. There didn’t seem to be anyone around, and I quietly crept up the stairs to the second floor. Gently and silently, I stepped inside, noticing a man with a rifle standing facing away from me.  
Looking down over the edge, I could see my father standing in front of Damian, who was tied to a chair. Damian wasn’t moving and I was concerned that he wasn’t just unconscious. There were two other men that I could see, both holding big automatic guns.  
I pulled one of the syringes out of my pocket, taking off the cap. Grabbing the man around the chest, I shoved the needle into his neck, injecting the drug. He struggled against me, but the drug was fast-acting, and he went down in just a few seconds.  
Taking up the rifle, I knelt down, resting it on the bars. As I aimed it at my father, I hesitated. Even after everything he’d done to me, I couldn’t kill him.   
I sighed, aiming at his foot and squeezing the trigger. The shot knocked him to the ground, and he shouted in pain.  
“Tell them to put the guns down, Dad, or I kill you right now.” I shouted.  
I watched through the scope as he nodded to the men. They dropped their guns, raising their hands in the air.  
“Come down, Anya. We can talk about this.”  
“About what? How you kidnapped my fiancé just so you can have one more chance to torture me? Or how you are so obsessed with punishing me that you won’t leave me alone? You don’t even like me, why bother going to the effort?”  
I saw one of the men reach for his gun, and I shot at the floor, right next to his hand.   
“Reach for the gun again, and it’ll be your head, not the floor.” I snapped.  
“Do you really think Roman kidnapped you just to convince you to work for him? No. Once I knew you were in Arkham, I paid him and several of the guards to break you out and kidnap you so that I could come and bring you home.”  
I was silent, trying not to fall for his bullshit.  
“I did all of this, Anya.”  
“And the break in? Did you pay Alex to do that as well?” I held the gun steady, watching the men closely.  
“That was just convenient. But I was the one who tipped off the police about your real name.”  
“Why?”   
“You know why. What you did to our family…”  
“Fuck you.” I aimed, shooting him in the other foot. “I did nothing to you, except defend myself and walk away.”  
I stood up, slowly walking down the stairs to them and looking over at Damian. He looked like he was slowly returning to consciousness.  
“Anya, don’t do this.” Dad pressed on the bullet hole in his foot.  
“I don’t want to have to kill you, Dad. I really don’t. Threatening me means nothing anymore, but you’ve crossed the line here.” I felt my foot touch something, and looked down, finding a small lighter.  
“Maybe if you accepted your punishment and returned home, I wouldn’t have to go this far.”  
I picked up the lighter, walking over to Damian. Dropping it in his hands, I hoped he was conscious enough to know what to do with it.  
Suddenly I was grabbed from behind, a knife pressing against throat. As I fought against my attacker, I realised this was about to go very wrong, very quickly.   
Then the lights went out. The men began to shout, and I could hear fighting. I seized the opportunity, elbowing my attacker in the sternum. Grabbing the hand with the knife, I dug my nails in, pushing it away. This guy was strong, and I was struggling. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could see the knife getting closer and closer to my chest.  
In a split second decision, I lifted my foot, kicking the man in the kneecap. He dropped the knife, and I turned, punching him in the jaw. I picked the knife off the floor and stabbed him. It was like I just lost my mind and kept stabbing and I couldn’t stop.  
The sound of sirens hit my ears, and the lights came back on. I stabbed the man one more time, falling forward onto his corpse.  
“Annie, whoa. He’s dead.”  
I looked up, finding Damian standing beside me. Looking around, I could see that everyone was unconscious, including my father.   
“Did you do all of this?” I asked.  
“No. Dad did. But the police are nearly here so he had to go.”  
I stood up, unsteadily walking to my father’s unconscious body, shaking with rage and fear. “I want to kill him.”  
“No, you don’t. You’re better than him.”


	15. Cascabela Thevetia

### Chapter Fifteen: Cascabela Thevetia

Even bees, the little alms-men of spring bowers,  
Know there is richest juice in poison-flowers.  
 _John Keats, Isabella_

“What do you mean he’s out?” I shouted into the phone. “I gave you all the evidence you should need to put him in jail for life!”  
“I’m sorry, Miss Walker. But money talks in Gotham, and he paid off the judge and the police. There’s nothing I can do if no one is willing to testify.”   
I hung up the phone, sliding down the wall to the floor. With my father out of jail, I knew he was going to come for me. As I sat there, biting my nails, Damian came running out of the bathroom.  
“I heard shouting.” He crouched in front of me. “What happened?”  
“They aren’t going to prosecute.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “He’s out of jail.”  
“Will he come after you?”  
“Probably. But it’s not me that I’m concerned about. It’s you, and your secret.”  
He softly touched my face. “We’ll deal with that if it becomes an issue. Right now, I want to make sure that you stay safe. We can go stay at dad’s, it will be much safer there.”  
I nodded, looking away.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“I thought I was safe… That he was finally going to leave me alone. But he planned everything, just to punish me for deserting my family.”   
“We can talk about this more, but we need to pack and get out of here soon.” He helped me up, and we headed into the bedroom.  
I stood in front of the closet, unsure about what I needed or wanted to take with me. After a few moments of contemplation, I just grabbed whatever would fit in my suitcase.  
“Ready to go?” Damian asked, zipping up his bag.  
“I guess.” I hesitated. “I don’t think I’m ready for any of this though.”  
He carried the luggage down to the car, and I followed behind him, wrapping my arms around myself.  
As we pulled up in front of the mansion, I was hit by a wave of anxiety and nausea. It felt like I was going to throw up, so I leaned forward, resting my head in my hands.   
“Are you alright?”  
“I feel sick. Like I might throw up.”   
“Can you make it upstairs?” He turned off the car.  
“I think so.” I climbed out, slowly, trying to steady myself.   
“Take it slow.” He walked around, helping me inside.   
I managed to make it to the ensuite, where I promptly knelt in front of the toilet and threw up. Damian sat behind me, holding my hair out of the way.  
“Here.” He pulled my hair up into a bun. “Do you want me to get you some water?”  
“Yes please.” I wiped some tears away.  
“I’ll be back in a second.” He left the room, returning moments later with a glass that he filled from the sink.  
He handed it to me, and I took a sip. My whole body ached, and my mind was in complete unrest.  
“Feeling any better?”   
“A little.” I sat back against him, rinsing my mouth out and flushing the toilet. “I’ll be okay. Probably look pretty awful though.”  
“You still look a little green. Not as bad as you did before, though. Do you want to move?”  
“I feel all gross. I want to have a shower, but I think if I stand for too long, I might throw up again.” I drank the rest of the water. “And I really want to brush my teeth.”  
I felt him move behind me, as he reached across the bath and started the water running.   
“There you go. I need to go talk to Dad, and then I’ll unpack our stuff. I’ll be back soon.” He squeezed my shoulder.  
“Okay.”  
I stood up, leaning on the sink as I brushed my teeth. I had to get that taste of vomit out of my mouth.  
Once it was finally gone, I stripped out of my clothes and climbed into the warm water. I lay there, the warmth of the bath allowing me to finally relax and my mind to clear.   
I was almost asleep, having been in there for nearly 45 minutes, when the door opened and Damian walked in. I rested my hands on the edge of the bath, and my chin on top of them.  
“I feel much better.” I whispered, watching as he sat down on the floor.  
He ran his fingers through my hair, his eyes drifting over my face. When he didn’t speak, I felt a blush redden my cheeks.  
“Why are you staring?” I asked, embarrassed.   
“I’m just thinking about how strong you are. How even with all the fear and anger that you’ve fought through, that your father left you with, you haven’t lost your positivity.”  
I gave him a small smile, reaching out to tap his nose. “I have a good reason to stay positive. Are you going to join me in here? We could put the tablet on the edge, turn on a movie, and just spend the afternoon in here.”  
“I’m definitely considering it, but I had a better idea.” He trailed his fingers through the water, then up my bare side. “I sent Alfred out to buy snacks. I light the fire and we cuddle up in front of it with a movie.”  
“Alright, you win. I’ll be out in a second.” I watched him leave, then climbed out, wrapping a towel around myself.  
I threw on my underwear, then walked to the closet to find some warm clothes.  
“I put your clothes on the right.”   
“Thank you!” I pulled on a hoodie and a pair of long socks, before walking over to where Damian was getting the fire ready.  
Sitting down on the soft carpet, I leaned against the couch and watched him as he finished up.   
“Are you wearing my hoodie?” He asked, looking over at me.  
“It wouldn’t be the first time.” I laughed.  
He pulled me close, wrapping his arm around my waist. “Looks better on you than me anyway.”  
“Everything does. You know that.”


	16. Atropa Belladonna

### Chapter Sixteen: Atropa Belladonna

Love is madness, and lust is poison. _George R. R. Martin_

I hit the ground hard, my chest aching where Damian had just kicked me.  
“Shit, Annie! I’m so sorry!”   
He came running over, but I raised my hand to stop him, picking myself up.  
“I told you not to go easy on me.” I continued the fight, going for his chest with my fist.  
He was fast and strong, and I was out of practice. But I kept pushing, taking hits and landing a few. My mind was going blank, and anger was beginning to rise within me. It wasn’t directed at him, instead it was directed at my father, my mother, every member of that fucking mercenary group that had either watched me be abused or gotten involved in the abuse.   
Suddenly Damian grabbed my fist and pushed me up against the wall. I was in some sort of mental haze, and I barely recognised him, struggling against his grip.  
“Snap out of it!” He demanded.   
I blinked, taking a ragged breath. He was breathing just as roughly, and I realised I must have made him work really hard.  
“I… I have to go.” I pushed him aside and fled upstairs to the bedroom, ignoring him calling me back.   
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I rested my head in my hands. After a few moments, I heard the door open, and Damian walked in. He sat behind me, his legs either side of mine and his arms around my waist.  
“Do you want to talk about whatever that was?” He asked, resting his chin on my shoulder. “No pressure, I just want to know you’re alright.”  
“I let my anger get the better of me.” I leaned my head against his. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”  
“You didn’t. But I haven’t had to fight that hard for a while.” He rubbed my arms. “You can relax, honey.”  
“I shouldn’t have let that happen.” I moved, lying across the bed beside him, on my front. “I feel stupid.”  
He turned, running his fingers up and down my back. “Take off your shirt.”  
“What?” I looked over at him.  
“Trust me. Take off your shirt.”  
I did as I was told, blushing as he unhooked my bra and began to rub moisturiser into my skin. Pulling one of the pillows under my head, I felt my body relaxing.  
“Three and a half years of dating and you’ve never given me a massage. Have you been holding out on me this whole time?” I whispered.  
“I have spare time during the day, so I taught myself. Thought it would be a nice surprise.”  
“It’s an amazing surprise.”   
He moved, sitting gently on my thighs and massaging deeper. I was so relaxed that I could have drifted into sleep, but then I felt him kiss my spine.  
I gasped, feeling my body heat up. “Now it’s an even better surprise.”  
As he ran his tongue down my back, I moaned, burying my face in the pillow.  
“If I’d known you’d react like this to a massage, I would have learnt how to do this sooner.” He climbed off the bed, ripping my shorts down my legs.  
“If I’d known you were willing to learn, I would have asked for one sooner. Especially if it leads to what I think it will.” I rolled over to face him, kneeling up.  
“I don’t remember saying you could move.” He gave me a sexy half-smile.  
“Well…” I leapt off the bed, running to the other side of the room. “I guess you’ll have to strip off and punish me.”  
He walked over, pulling off his shirt. He took hold of my waist, pushing me backwards until I hit the dresser. I leaned back, resting my hands on the cool wood.  
“I believe I told you to strip off.” I whispered, stopping him from kissing me. “Lose the pants.”  
He did as he was told, pulling me close once he was naked. I wanted to kiss him, but he knelt down, gently lowering my underwear to the floor as he kissed my thigh. I moaned, biting my lip.  
“I thought you were going to punish me.” I clutched at the dresser, trying to steady myself.  
“Oh I intend to.” He stood up again, pressing a single kiss to my lips before turning me around.  
Bending me over the dresser, he slowly slid inside me, until his body was flush against mine. He filled me up so perfectly and knew my body even better than I did, so sex with him was always amazing.  
He took hold of my hair, yanking me up and wrapping his arm around my chest. I braced myself, letting him take complete control of my body and knowing it meant I would have to wait before I got to have my fun.  
“It’s been a while since you were last this rough with me.” I breathed. “I’ve missed it.”  
“I’ll have to do it more often.”  
He pressed a kiss to my neck, in the exact spot he knew would drive me wild. I shuddered, turning my head to kiss him. His thrusting was getting faster, and more urgent, and he let out a deep growl, nipping at my ear.   
His hand slid down between my legs and he softly brushed my clit. My heart was pounding in my chest, like it was trying to escape. He was pushing me closer and closer to the edge, but every time I thought I would fall, he would stop.  
“Not yet.” His voice was deep and soaked in desire, and I knew he was close.  
Slamming me down on the dresser again, he cupped my ass as he thrust harder and deeper, until finally he exploded inside of me. The way he touched me as he came felt so primal, so animalistic.  
“Now?” I pleaded as he pulled out of me.  
I turned to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He carried me over to the bed, placing me down and kneeling in front of me. He teased me a little longer, pressing kisses along my inner thighs, getting closer and closer to where I wanted him.  
“Now.” He buried his face between my legs, his tongue expertly playing with my clit.  
Gripping the sheets, I felt every nerve in my body suddenly come alive. There was a moment of complete silence and calmness, before he sent me spiralling into my orgasm with a scream.   
He climbed onto the bed, lying beside me as our bodies returned to normal.  
“You’re such an asshole.” I laughed, gently punching his arm. “I thought you were going to make me wait forever.”  
“You scream louder when I make you wait.” He tangled his fingers in my hair, holding me close.


	17. Sanguinaria Canadensis

### Chapter Seventeen: Sanguinaria Canadensis

But the she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail.  
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.  
 _Rudyard Kipling, The Female of the Species_

“Are you sure about this party?” Damian asked, as I walked into the bathroom. “You don’t have to come if you’re concerned.”  
“I’m not going to keep hiding from this.” I replied, shutting the door. “If Bruce thought it was unsafe you know he would basically lock me in here, so I’m not worried. Are you worried?”  
There was silence for a moment, and I stripped down to my underwear, beginning to put on my makeup as I waited for a reply.  
“Maybe a little. Why did you shut the door?”  
“Because I don’t want you to see my outfit before I’m ready. I bought a dress I know you’ll love and I want to surprise you.”   
“I guess I can wait.” I heard him whisper from right against the door.  
I finished my makeup with a bright red lipstick and a metallic smoky eye, before moving on to my hair. Piling my curls into a messy updo, I pinned them into place. My dress was in two pieces, which made it a lot easier to get into and it only took a few more minutes until I had everything on except my mask.   
Looking at myself in the mirror, I was happy with what I saw, even if some of my scars on my abs were a little noticeable between the two parts of my new red dress. I shook away my insecure thoughts and picked up the strip of black lace I was using as my mask. It was only a matter of a couple of seconds of tying to get it in place, and I was ready.  
I took a deep breath, checked myself over one more time, then opened the door. Damian was sitting on the edge of the bed, reading something on his phone. He looked up when he heard me come out, his eyes growing wide when he saw me. When he didn’t say anything, I hesitated, suddenly insecure.  
“You don’t like it…” I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself protectively.  
“Oh Annie, no. I love it.” He walked over, gently pulling my arms away so he could place his hands on my waist. “It’s just… I’ve never seen you look so beautiful. I didn’t know what to say.”  
Being in high heels meant I didn’t have to stand on my toes to kiss him, so I just wrapped my arms around him and pressed my lips to his. I was so glad for smudge-proof lipstick right then.  
“Are you ready to go down?” He asked, when we finally pulled apart.  
“I am, but I can’t let you go down there with your tie looking like that.” I pulled it off him and retied it. “You’ve been wearing ties since you moved here, and you still can’t get the hang of it.”  
“Maybe I just like it when you do my tie for me.” He grinned, pressing a kiss to my cheek.  
“So that’s why you keep me around. To do your ties for you.” I laughed.  
“The sex is good too.” He joked, wrapping his arm around my waist.   
We walked down the stairs to the ballroom, where the party was just starting.  
“You should wear two-piece dresses more often.” He commented, sweeping me onto the dance floor. “I like being able to touch your back without fabric in the way.”  
“That’s why I picked this one. I like it when you put your hand on my back.” I let him guide me in the dance, because I was still inexperienced.   
We danced until the song finished, but I didn’t really want to let him go.  
“We should go socialise.” He whispered in my ear.  
“Do we have to?”   
“Unfortunately yes.”   
I pouted. “Alright, let’s go then.”  
We made our way around the room, and I was introduced to so many people. As the names piled up in my mind, I began to feel really overwhelmed. Damian must have noticed, because he gently pulled me aside.  
“Are you okay?” He asked, resting his hand on my arm.  
“Just a little overwhelmed. I’m going to go get some air. I’ll be back soon.”  
“Do you want me to come with you?”  
“No, it’s okay. I’ll only be a few minutes.” I softly kissed him, then walked out into the gardens.  
The cool air washed over me, and I could feel my mind beginning to clear. I was still new to this world, and even though I was starting to get used to it, everything that was going on with my father was making it harder than I expected to cope.  
As I stood by the roses, breathing in their scent, I heard uneven, limping footsteps behind me. My heart was in my throat, and I was   
“Anya, it’s time to come home.” I heard my father’s voice.  
“I know people don’t usually say no to you, so it might be hard for you to hear, but I said no.” I turned to face him.  
“Do you think it matters to me what you say? I own you.”  
“You own nothing. You are a pathetic, obsessed old man who can’t let go. And you should have brought backup.”  
“Oh, I did.” He gestured towards the party, and I realised I could hear screaming and shouting.   
Suddenly he launched himself at me, and I managed to fight back against him. I was surprised at how slow he’d gotten, and how I was managing to hold my own. But it was hard, my heels making it harder still, and I was beginning to struggle. We fought for so long, I thought it would never end.  
As I dodged another punch, I didn’t notice his other hand. He grabbed me by the throat, slamming me against a tree.  
“You are weak, just like your mother. You will never win.” He squeezed slightly, beginning to choke me.  
“You think killing me means you’ve won?” I wheezed. “No. It means you lost control.”  
I kicked him, my heel connecting with his knee. He dropped me, and we both hit the ground hard. I managed to recover first, and punched him in the jaw. Then I punched him again… and again… and again. I wanted him to suffer and I just wanted it all to be over.  
The shouting got closer, and I felt hands under my arms, pulling me away into someone’s lap.  
“No! I have to finish it!” I fought back, but then I recognised the arms that were holding me as Damian.  
“Annie, no.” He took hold of my face. “You don’t want to do this.”  
“But he’ll keep trying.”  
“Not this time.” I heard another voice, and looked up to find the commissioner standing there. “Staging an attack on Wayne manor is a big deal, and he’s going to Blackgate.”  
“Won’t he just pay his way out again?”  
“The mayor was at the party tonight. He’s not paying his way out now. I’ll need to get a statement from you, but if you want to go clean up first, I can talk to you last.”  
I nodded, getting up. Damian also stood, wrapping his arm around my waist. Taking a step, I realised the heel of one of my shoes had broken.  
“My shoe.” I whispered, bending over to pull them off.  
“Here, let me carry them.” He held out his hand, and I gave them to him.  
We managed to make it upstairs, and I slid to the floor in front of the bed, bursting into tears. Damian walked into the bathroom, returning with the first aid kit. As he sat down in front of me, I noticed how ragged he looked and realised he had been fighting too.  
“Thank you for stopping me.” I whispered, as he cleaned the dirt and blood off my face.  
“It’s one thing to kill someone. But it’s another thing entirely to kill someone you know well. I know you don’t want to cross that line.” He cracked one of the instant ice packs, pressing it to my swollen lip once it was cold. “It’s almost impossible to come back from.”  
“I did want to. I wanted him to pay for what he did to me.” I took a deep breath. “But killing him would mean I’m just as bad as him.”  
The adrenaline was beginning to run out, and pain was surfacing all over my body.  
“You held your own against him, and you won. I’m proud of you.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead.


	18. Colchicum Autumnale

###  Chapter Eighteen: Colchicum Autumnale

Temptation is like a knife, that may either cut the meat or the throat of a man; it may be his food or his poison, his exercise or his destruction. _John Owen_

I sat in the grass, watching the sun rise. My body was still so sore, but my mind was clearer, even with only a few hours sleep. There wasn’t much that I had to think about, and I was beginning to feel safe again.  
As I sat there, my phone began to ring.  
“Hello?”   
“Am I speaking to Miss Walker?” An unfamiliar voice asked.  
“Yes.”  
“Ah good. My name is Judy, and I represent the Gotham City Medical Lab board of directors. I’m sure you’ve heard that we’re hoping to reopen soon.”  
“I have, yes.” I got up, walking inside.  
“I’m sorry for calling this early, but we wanted to give you as much time as possible to consider this. We would like you to return to work, but as the lab manager. We’ve seen your work, and read your performance reviews, and think you would be a good replacement for Mr. Richards. You would be free to continue your research, but one day a week would be for you to check in on the other projects, performance reviews, all of that managerial work. You don’t have to answer now, but we would need an answer by the end of tomorrow.”  
“I’ll… have to think about it.”  
“Understandable. I hope to hear your answer in the affirmative soon. You can contact me on this number when you’ve made your decision.”  
I hung up the phone, sitting down on the staircase. There was a big part of me that desperately wanted to go back to work, but it was accompanied by doubt. I was doubting my ability to continue my research along with being able to cope if the lab was broken into again.  
“Annie? Is everything alright?”  
I looked up, finding Bruce walking up the stairs to me. He sat down, resting his arms on his knees.  
“Yeah, I think so. I just got offered a promotion at work, and I’m debating whether I even want to go back at all.”  
“That’s a hard one. It’s definitely not me you should be discussing it with though.” He gestured towards my bedroom.  
“I’m waiting for him to wake up. I didn’t sleep well after everything last night, but apparently he did.”  
“I think in this case he probably wouldn’t mind if you wake him.”  
I nodded, heading up to the bedroom. Opening the door and stepping inside, I could see that Damian was still asleep, his breathing slow and rhythmic. I pulled off my jacket, then climbed onto the bed.  
“Damian…” I whispered, running my fingers along his jaw. “Wake up.”  
He stirred, rolling over and resting his head on my chest.   
“Why are you wearing clothes?” He asked sleepily, sliding his hand up under my singlet.  
“Because I didn’t want to walk around in front of your dad in my underwear? I’ve been awake for a couple of hours now.”  
“Well take everything back off and then we can go back to sleep. It was a really long night and I don’t want to be awake yet.”   
“I got offered a promotion and I need to talk to you about it.” I gently pushed him off me, and sat up.  
He yawned, slowly sitting up too. “Alright. Let me put some clothes on and we’ll go have a talk.”  
“Thank you.” I whispered, as he got off the bed. “I’m sorry for waking you.”  
“Honey, I love my sleep, but I love you far more.” He pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt. “If you need me, you can always wake me up. Come on, I’m definitely going to need some coffee first.”  
We walked down to the kitchen, starting the kettle boiling.  
“Before we chat, do you want to head back to the apartment today? Now that your dad is in Blackgate, we should be safe again.” He slid onto one of the stools at the counter.  
“Sure.” I leaned on the bench, feeling a little listless.  
The sound of the kettle boiling distracted me, and I poured the coffee. I handed one to him, walking around to sit down, but he stopped me.  
“Let’s go outside. It’s a nice morning.”   
We walked out to the pagoda, sitting down next to each other.  
“So, a promotion?” He squeezed my leg.  
“They want me to be the new lab manager.” I wrapped my hands around the warm mug, looking down at the ground.  
“And you’re hesitating for some reason.”   
“I want to go back to work, more than anything, because I need to do something. It’s just…”  
“You’re doubting yourself.”  
I looked up at him in surprise. “How did you…?”  
“Because I know you, Annie.” He took hold of my chin, leaning in to softly kiss me. “And I can see it in your eyes. I think you should take the job, but I will support what ever decision you make.”  
He pulled my legs across his lap, running his hands up the back of my calves. I rested my head on his shoulder, sipping at my coffee.  
“Can we go home now?” I asked.  
“One more thing.” He kissed me deeply, until neither of us could breathe.  
“What was that for?”   
“Just because I could.”


	19. Aconitum Napellus

### Chapter Nineteen: Aconitum Napellus

I'm going to put death in all their food and watch them die. _Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle_

I sat in the interview room, waiting for the guards to bring my father in. They threw him into a chair, chaining him down. I’d clearly done a number on him, because his face was very black and blue.  
“I knew you’d come by eventually.” He rested his hands in his lap. “Ask your question.”  
“Why won’t you leave me alone? You didn’t want me, so I left.”   
“I never said I didn’t want you. I just would have preferred a son.”  
“Fuck that bullshit.” I stood up, slamming my hands down on the cold metal of the table. “Every chance you had, you told me how useless I was, how much you hated me and how you should have gotten rid of me when I was a baby. Over and over, until I almost believed it myself.”  
“In that case, it’s a good time to tell you your mother died three years ago.”  
I felt like I was punched in the gut, but I held back the tears. “Fuck you.”  
“Her health started to fail after you deserted her. She died of a stroke.”   
“I won’t stand here and have you blame this on me. I’m done with you.” I turned to leave, hesitating when I heard him speak again.  
“You’ll never be done with me. I’ll always be in the back of your mind, when you’re doubting yourself, or you’re wondering if you’re safe.”  
I took a deep breath, steadying myself before turning back. “You know what? You’re right. Everything you’ve done to me, all the way down to letting your friends abuse me too, will stay with me. Every physical and mental scar will be in my mind and on my body for the rest of my life. It has made me who I am now. But you have nothing to hold over me, and I won’t be defined by your actions anymore.”  
Pressing the button on the wall, I marched out as soon as the door was opened. Damian was waiting for me in the car, and when he saw the look on my face, he reached for my hand.  
“What did he say? Are you alright?”   
“He… He said Mum died.” I looked over at him. “But it wouldn’t be the first time he’s lied about something like that. I need to find out.”  
“Did you get the answer you were looking for?” He squeezed my hand and started the car.  
“Sort of. I know what I want to do now.”  
He pressed a kiss to my fingers, then began to drive. I watched the buildings go past, suddenly anxious. I was realising what I’d just done, antagonising my father. Even though he couldn’t do anything to me himself, I didn’t doubt that he was still in contact with his people.  
By the time we pulled up to the apartment building, I’d managed to bring my anxiety under control. I still wasn’t feeling great, but it was definitely better.   
“I’m going to make the call.” I told Damian, as we walked into the apartment.   
“Before you do…” He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. “I’m proud of you, Annie. Going in there, and confronting your father, that’s huge.”  
“Thanks. I’ll be back in a minute.”  
I headed into the bedroom, calling Judy’s number.  
“Ah, Miss Walker, have you made a decision?”  
“I’d like to accept your offer.” I sat down on the bed, staring at the floor.  
“Good! We’ll get all the training ready for you, so you can start next week. We’ll be in touch over the next few days.”  
Hanging up the phone, I sat there for a moment, doubt creeping in again. The door opened, and Damian walked in, carrying his laptop.  
“I thought you might want to see this.” He sat down beside me.  
Looking over his shoulder, I saw the obituary that I’d been dreading.  
“I’m sorry.” He whispered.  
“I guess I was hoping that he was still lying to me.” I wrapped my arms around my knees. “He said it was my fault.”  
“Do you believe that?”  
I shook my head. “No. It can go on the long list of things he’s blamed me for. Mum wasn’t perfect, and she didn’t always step in when my father was hurting me, but I do wish I could have said goodbye.”  
“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead, then carried his laptop out of the room.   
I climbed off the bed, feeling my jeans crease uncomfortably. After changing into my favourite outfit, my hoodie and socks, I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. The swelling in my lip had mostly gone down, but my jaw was still bad.  
“How’s your face?”   
I turned, finding Damian standing there.  
“Sore, but I’ll live. What’s that?” I nodded at the mug he was carrying.  
“I made an Irish coffee for you.” He handed it to me.  
I took a sip, surprised at how much alcohol was in it. “A very, very Irish coffee.”  
“I thought you could use the buzz.” He leaned over to kiss me, being careful with my swollen lip. “It’s been a long few weeks.  
“Do you think it’s really over? I feel like I’m going to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life.” I finished the coffee, placing the mug on the bench.  
“I don’t know. But I do know that I’ll be here to make sure you’re safe.” He lifted me onto the bench. “Now, how about discussing this wedding?”


End file.
